Wednesday, April 28, 2010

This is Theresa, Jo's daughter. She asked me over the weekend if I would update her blog to let her readers know how she's doing, following her knee surgery. I agreed, so I'd better get on the ball and take care of my responsibilities.

Her surgery took place Monday afternoon. After work, I made the drive down to the hospital. On my way I got a call from Melody, telling me that Mommy wasn't in a room yet. Her blood pressure had dropped to a scary low rate. She wasn't to be in a room until they had that under control. I continued my trip down the highway with my heart in my throat. Thankfully, not much time had passed before Melody called me back. Mommy had been assigned a room and could accept visitors. Shew.

When I found her room, the nurses were checking her in, so I waited politely in the hallway. It sounded like she was being admitted to jail. They needed to take inventory of all her belongings, among other things.

After the nurses were done, I made my entrance. The room lit up with joy. Okay. Not really. Mommy looked good, for what she had been through. Her leg was hooked up to a machine that kept it moving slowly so that it didn't get stiff and to prevent clots. Her legs were still numb from the surgery. Chris, Melody and the troops showed up next. We had a nice little visit and Mommy started to feel tingling in her toes by the time we were headed back home - and her blood pressure was back up to a not-so-scary level.

The nurses asked her what her goals were for the hospital stay. Mommy said she wanted to be walking before she left the hospital. It seems that she will be scheduled to leave sometime tomorrow afternoon. According to an email that I received from J.D., she's been up and walking around a bit the past couple of days.

The kids and I are going to visit when I get off work today. I hope to add another update after our visit either tonight or tomorrow morning. Thanks for reading!!

Monday, April 19, 2010

I thought today I would take you on a spring adventure that we had in 2003 while we lived in Sulphur, Louisiana. About 25 miles south of there you will find a marsh that is inhabited by some of Southwest Louisiana's critters wild life.

This sign wasn't necessary where I was concerned, but I am sure that had the sign not been in place some idiot would try to feed or perhaps even try to pet the alligators.

I have always been fascinated with the fact that there is no fence or barrier of any kind between alligator and tourists. There is nothing keeping the alligators from running up the little bit of incline to the walkway and devouring a tourist or two for lunch. This is the first part of the walkway. As you wind your way through the marsh the walkway turns from concrete to wooden walkways that are raised slightly over the water.

My first visit to this marsh was with J.D.'s niece. It was a hot summer day when we went and all we saw was a couple of butterflies, 1 frog and a zillion mosquitoes. When J.D. and I went it was toward the end of March and we saw lots of alligators.

We were entertained watching Mama Gator giving her babies a piggy back ride. Or perhaps these babies have found this the safest place to be to avoid being a appetizer for Mama.

Signs like this one are posted along the canal that runs parallel to the road that leads to the marshland. Yes, there are alligators that swim in those waters and yes, there were people in the water doing exactly what the sign says not to do.

If you are ever in Southwest Louisiana, this really is a nice stop in the spring. I would advise against it in the heat of summer and especially if you have a hip or knee problem as it is quite a long walk.

If you would like to take part in Mosaic Monday or you would just like to see some beautiful mosaics of photos taken by some very talented bloggers just drop by The Little Red House.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Today we will be celebrating Riley's 7th birthday. It seems like just yesterday that we were gathered at the hospital waiting for him to be born. I believe that when he went to take his first step it quickly turned into a run and he has been on the run ever since. Only slowing down long enough to give a hello or goodbye kiss and the occasional hug. I don't think Riley will be late for his life. If anything he will be early and have to wait for his life to catch up with him. He had watched the adults in his life and emulated each in one way or another. I have commented in the past that by the time Riley is an adult, there will be nothing that he can't do.

Riley has broad horizon ahead of him. He reminds me of a little sponge, it is almost like he is dehydrated for knowledge and looking around for any that he can soak up. Being the first grandson/nephew/son/brother for this side of the family he received a lot of attention. I was concerned that when Seth came along that Riley would be jealous of the attention Seth would get. No reason for concern there........... Riley stepped into the older brother role like he had been training for it all of his life. Of course he gets aggravated from time to time. Let's face it Seth is just as ornery as Riley is and he doses it out for Riley in a regular intervals. Riley is not afraid to show his little brother love or too busy to look out for him. Just this week when Seth injured his Achilles tendon and was in so much pain when he tried to walk on that foot, Riley showed him how to crawl again so Seth could get around. An example of how Riley's brain works, always busy and always problem solving.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Tomorrow will mark one month since Paddy came to live with us. It has had it's challenges for sure. They told us at the pound that they thought she was about a year old. We are thinking that she is younger than that because she has shown so many puppy ways. She was afraid to come in the house at first. This of course told us that she wasn't allowed inside at her original home. We got past that hurdle in just a matter of days. Now she comes and goes through the door without giving it much thought.

House breaking was a major job. When we thought Paddy had caught on to what we expected of her, she would leave us little gifts to find here and there through out the house. So far this week she has done really well. It is already Thursday and she has gone outside to take care of her business all week. I don't think it was just Paddy, I think a lot of times we weren't understanding her when she was asking to go out. We all seem to be on the same page now so it is all good. Way To Go Paddy Girl!!

When we call her and she comes right away she gets a treat. She also gets treats when she potties outside. She would get really excited when it comes to her treats and would hop around on her hind feet like a ballerina minus the tutu, snatch the treat from our hand and off she would go. J.D. has been teaching her to sit for her treats and she caught on to that really quick. We don't even have to tell her to sit now, it is automatic for her now. You would think she has always sat for her treats.

She is just a wee little thing. When I pick her up it is like lifting air. She loves chasing butterflies, birds and rabbits. In this yard she has plenty of them to occupy her time. J.D. commented this morning that he didn't think she would know what to do with a rabbit if she caught one. It wouldn't surprise me if she did catch one, she is pretty darn fast. Yesterday was the first time I heard Paddy bark in the month that she has been here. She has the sweetest little bark I have ever heard. She was in the back yard and had a rabbit on the run and she actually barked at it. Way To Go Paddy Girl!!

Paddy is thriving here on J.D.'s mountain and has carved out her own little place in our heart. We found Paddy at the dog pound and she was two days away from being killed. All it cost us was the price of her dog tags. If you have been thinking of getting a pet, a dog or a cat......... Please give some thought to rescuing that pet from your county pound.

I received this yesterday from my friend, Sue in Houma, LA. As I read it, that little light of remembrance clicked on in my mind. I had long forgotten the memory of my own grandma's ugly shoes. I thought of them as grandma's ugly shoes too. Those shoes seemed to be the describing factor that said " Grandma" in the same way that bib overalls once shouted " farmer". I can honestly say that if wearing those ugly shoes was a requirement for being a grandma, I would wear them with pride.

As one grows olderone should grow more expert at finding beauty in unexpected places, in desserts and even in towns, in ordinary human faces and among wild weeds.

~ C.C. Vyvyan

I have found the beauty in our flowering weeds that thrive in and around the land that we have cleared and call our yard. It is almost like they are the scouts for the rest of the army of the flower world by checking out the dangers of frost and snow. We left about 3 feet of wild growth on the fence line of our property. Beginning with the spring months into September, we have a constant show of beautiful colors for the wild flowers and weeds that grow there.

The weather has been really great the past few days and Paddy has had such a wonderful time playing outside. She tracks rabbits all over the yard, then she takes a bit of a break and gets back to work tracking those rabbits some more. The butterflies enjoy the wild flowers as much as I do. Yesterday Paddy deviated from her routine long enough to chase a butterfly. She is such a sweet little pup. She has added so much joy to our life and certainly keeps us entertained.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

I was making rounds today and noticed that Mary @ Mary's Writing Nook had a new posting.I knew that her grandson was in the hospital and she had been updating his progress, so I hurried over to see how he was doing. Well, it wasn't an update on Josh after all. Mary's husband had contacted Anni @ Hootin' Anni's
and asked her to do a post letting everyone know that Mary is in the hospital. At the time Anni didn't have any more information than that. I learned later from a posting on Mary's Face Book Wall that Mary has had a heart attack. Please keep Mary and Josh in your prayers, as well as their family. Anni said that she will be posting information as she learns it, so you can follow the link above to check for that information.

I received a notice the other day that my Endocrinologist and her husband will be moving to Oregon in May to be closer to family. I can understand them wanting to be close to family, but it just won't be the same without my Diabetes Boot Camp drill instructor. According to the letter that I received the practice she is with hasn't found a replacement for her yet. About two years ago our family doctor moved to Utah for the same reason. The practice he was with didn't replace him and I couldn't believe how difficult it was to find another family doctor. Until you start looking for a doctor, you don't realize how booked up they are and how few of them are accepting new patients. What has happened to the small town doctors of my youth? I remember the days when your family doctor finished med school, hung his shingle out and stayed in the same place delivering babies, to the babies he delivered a generation before and taking care of the whole family for every thing from a bad cold to diabetes. I truly do wish her the best. She approached Diabetes aggressively and that worked for me. Hopefully I will be able to find another doctor with the same approach to Diabetes.

Monday, April 5, 2010

Since today is Monday that means it is Mosaic Monday hosted by Mary. I hope you will join me today as I visit the wonderful blogs that take part in Mosaic Monday. You will find the links to those blogs at The Little Red House . I am finding it to be a great way to start out the week.

Saturday we ventured out to the flea markets and my mosaic is of my wonderful flea market finds.

I have decorated our dining room with Native American items. You will also find these items throughout the house. Some of them I have had for many years, some are fairly new additions. I recently started looking for items that feature Native American children and have found those items are few and far between. For that reason alone I would have to say that this picture was the deal of the day. The fact that it cost me all of $1.00 made it even a better deal.

I am always on the look out for dishes, dishes and more dishes. I love stoneware, as well as the intricate designs on many china plates. The Blue Willow is one of my favorites.

I thought the blue design on this plate complements the Blue Willow design. I found my plates at the roadside flea market at $2.00 each.

This plate caught my attention because of the tiny delicate violets painted on it. I have seen quite a few dish sets that I really liked, but when I look on the bottom I find the words " Made In China" . That is enough information for me not to buy it. Remember when the news came out that Fisher Price toys that were being produced in China contained lead paint? A man in Columbus was interviewed on the news about that time. He had bought one of the home lead testers to check his child's toys. In the process he decided to test some of their dishes that they had purchased at Kroger during one of their promotional sales. Sure enough those beautiful stoneware dishes contained lead paint.

I am finding it more and more difficult to remember things as I grow older. The last thing I need is to eat my meals off of dishes containing lead and risk even more brain cells being destroyed. If the dishes I buy doesn't say 'Made in USA' they don't come home with me.

Another passion I ave when it comes to shopping flea markets and yard sales would be glass bowls. I found this little beauty amongst the dishes that I bought. It will be perfect for serving up a fruit and Jello dessert.

Last but by no way least were the signs that I found. J.D. has made an improvement to the kitchen by making an alcove to put the refrigerator in. It is surprising how much space was freed up just by doing that. Our kitchen feels huge now. I thought signs placed on the wall above the fridge was just the ticket.

I hope you enjoyed your visit and that you will return for another visit with us soon here on J.D.'s mountain.

Saturday, April 3, 2010

I had my appointment yesterday with the orthopedic surgeon. First there were x-rays taken of my knees and then a long wait in the examination room for the doctor to come in. When my turn finally came around he didn't need to spend much time on looking at the x-rays to tell us that my knee is bone on bone and that I need a knee replacement of the left knee. From what the x-rays showed him the right knee won't be far behind. By having the left knee done now it may delay the need for surgery on my right knee. So for right now we are waiting for a call that the surgery is scheduled (up to a 2 week wait), the surgery itself will follow ( a 3 to 6 week wait), I will be in the hospital for three days and the next day after surgery I will be up and moving as best as I can. As for the recovery time, we are looking at 6 to 8 weeks following the surgery before I can race Seth up and down the ridge and give him some real competition. The doctor asked if the pain in my knee was stopping me from doing things that I enjoy doing or need to do. I never really stop to list those things that I can not do any longer because of the knee pain. Thinking about them one at a time just didn't seem that bad, but it is quite another story when I list them in my mind. Angela (JD's youngest daughter) and Nick are living in Chicago now and that isn't really a long drive from here. We have been trying to pin point a good time to go visit. I don't want to miss the opportunity to go to the art museum while we are there. I am thinking that after I have finished my recovery will be great because I will be able to do the walking that a trip to the museum will require. There are so many things that I haven't been able to do for so long without having to deal with the pain during and after.....Well, I am a little excited about the possibilities that will be coming my way.

On our trip home from my appointment yesterday we saw people setting up their tables at the outdoor flea market. We decided that will be on our agenda for today. They have a big indoor flea market not too far from the outdoor one which we may or may not go to. The one indoors have higher prices on their stuff. I am thinking the reason for that is to cover the overhead of being inside where they have permanent booths and don't have to pack everything up come Sunday. I am looking forward to our little adventure today. J.D. enjoys the flea market as much as I do. How great is that? We are such a perfect match........

It was 10 years ago today that we were married. As we stood on the river walk in Columbia, Louisiana and exchanged our vows pledging our love to one another for the rest of our lives, I had no idea at that time that you would complete my life the way you have. When you ask what I would like to have as a gift for one occasion or another you have no idea how difficult it is to think of something. The reason being because I have you. What more could I ask for? You are my husband, best friend, confidant, soul mate and my happiness all rolled into one. We have laughed together, cried together and held on tightly to each other when the loss of loved ones felt as if we would be crushed by the pain we were dealing with. There isn't a day that passes that I don't thank God for you.